Calligraphic Illustration

This painting was done as a gift for a friend’s wedding this summer. I worked in acrylic, experimenting with a variety of textures and techniques. After creating the sketch/reference imagery, I projected that onto my canvas. Before painting, I went into the mountains and flowers with a palette knife and modeling paste (basically, a paste made from marble dust that dries as a raised, paint-friendly surface). It was a relaxing project for me, not trying to capture photographic realism but keeping things whimsical, bright, cheerful.